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| Services Offered • Pre-pregnancy Counseling • Complete Prenatal Care • Childbirth Education • Blessingways • Bellymasks • Home and Birth Center Birth • VBAC • Waterbirth • Postpartum Care • Breastfeeding Support |
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| Pre-pregnancy Counseling The purpose of this visit is to provide information regarding proper diet, nutrition, and exercise which can be initiated before becoming pregnant in order to get the body in the optimum condition to create and nourish a new life. Most women don’t think about making lifestyle changes before they get pregnant, but this is actually an ideal time to develop and maintain good habits. Proper nutrition and exercise before pregnancy will set a solid foundation for the developing fetus, as well as, increase your fertility. Certain nutritional supplements are important prior to pregnancy to ensure a healthy baby. In addition, you can learn how to follow your body’s cycle and try to conceive during your most fertile periods. If you are interested in choosing the sex of the baby, try the Chinese method. Link to Chinese chart: http://parenting.ivillage.com/ttc/ttcsigns |
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| Prenatal Care Good prenatal care is an important part of every healthy pregnancy. While ultimately prenatal care is the care a woman gives to herself during her pregnancy, visits with your midwife provide you with essential information and appropriate monitoring. Prenatal visits usually last 45 minutes to an hour and are done monthly for the first 7 months, every two weeks between 7-9 months, and weekly in the last month. At each prenatal visit the midwife checks your blood pressure, pulse, urine, and weight, asks about any symptoms you may be experiencing, screens for possible complications, provides anticipatory guidance and other appropriate information, addresses emotional concerns, and answers any questions the you or your partner may have. The midwife also measures your baby’s growth, asks about your baby’s movement, and checks your baby’s position and heartbeat. There is never a wait and you are never rushed through your appointments. At the initial prenatal visit the midwife reviews nutrition and dietary recommendations and provides you with a diet diary to be filled out for the next prenatal visit, when it will be reviewed. Laboratory work is an important part of prenatal care and appropriate lab tests are done at each visit, if applicable. All labwork and tests are explained thoroughly and you may refuse any test that you choose. Both you and your partner are encouraged to take an active role and to make informed choices regarding your care. It is the philosophy of Bellymama Midwifery that, once properly educated, it is the parents who should make the final choices regarding their and their baby’s care. You know best what is right for yourself and your baby. I seek to empower you to make the choices that are right for you. |
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| Childbirth Education Sometime in the beginning of your last trimester (between 7 and 9 months of pregnancy) you will attend a 6-week series of childbirth education classes. These classes are a vital part of your care and provide you with the information and internal resources to cope with the challenges of labor, birth, breastfeeding, and parenting. The classes are held weekly and draw upon a variety of childbirth education theories. They combine lecture, discussion, class exercises, artwork, videos, and dancing. Covered topics include: beliefs about birth, discovering your hidden fears/fantasies of birth, the physical, emotional, and spiritual process of labor and birth, pain coping techniques, the role of fathers, complications and how they are handled, cesarean birth, newborn care, the postpartum period, breastfeeding, and parenting survival tips. Each class is 1 1/2 to 2 hours in duration. The sixth class is an optional bellydance for birthing class and is for women only. Bellydancing was originally a dance for women by women and was often used in rituals of fertility rites and during labor to “dance” the baby out. Come and discover this beautiful ancient art form for yourself! |
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| Blessingways This is a rite of passage ceremony designed to honor the woman as she makes the transition into motherhood. We have so few rituals in our culture to honor the mother-to-be. We make an attempt with the baby shower, but in essence the focus of the baby shower is on the baby, not the mother. Childbirth marks a sacred, life-changing event in a woman’s life and she needs and deserves more than baby clothes and diaper wipes! In this ceremony, which is rooted in Native American traditions, we recognize the ways in which the woman’s life will change, offer blessings for her and her baby, offer words of wisdom from other mothers, and provide a symbolic circle of support for the woman which she can draw upon during her birthing experience. The ceremony involves several traditional rituals but can be changed and adapted to suit the needs of each particular woman. It has no particular religious affiliation and is generally for women only. |
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| Bellymasks A bellymask is an exact replica of the pregnant torso. It is made of plaster gauze in a simple one-hour process and is lightweight and durable. It may be hung in your child’s nursery or anywhere else you would like. The process of making a bellymask is a way of celebrating and honoring the profound experience of creating human life, and it is great fun! It is a creative, unique way to honor pregnancy, fertility, motherhood, and the special union between mother and child. Revealing the wonder of pregnancy, a bellymask is also a gift to your child, a permanent reminder of the special time when mother and child were one. Bellymasks can be painted, made into collages, signed by friends, or otherwise decorated once they have been dried and finished. |
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| Home and Birth Center Birth Women tend to labor and birth best in a space where they feel safe, comfortable, and private. For a growing number of women, this means at home or in a birth center. These environments offer several advantages over the conventional hospital setting. When you give birth at home, you have the advantage of being in a familiar space which feels comfortable to you. The philosophy of Bellymama Midwifery is “your baby, your birth, your way”. Birthing out of the hospital allows you to customize your experience in ways that are not possible in the hospital setting, where strict protocols force doctors to standardize their care. When birthing outside of the hospital you may move about as you choose, labor in whatever position feels comfortable, eat and drink, play the music that you like, have soft lighting (often with candles), have whomever you wish present (family and friends), give birth in the position that feels right to you, and if you desire, you can give birth in water. Another huge advantage is that you are never separated from your baby. As soon as the baby is born, he/she is placed on your belly and assessed from there. If the baby needs assistance with breathing it is done right next you. Mother, father, and baby are allowed time to bond without being interrupted. Babies can begin breastfeeding as soon as they show interest. The newborn exam is done right there in the room and we explain things as we go, providing education as well as performing a comprehensive physical examination of your newborn. Parents are informed regarding the pro’s and con’s of prophylactic eye ointment and vitamin K for babies, and you make the final decision as to whether you want these medications administered to your baby or not. In the hospital setting the you are not allowed to eat or drink, must remain strapped to the monitors (which restrict your movement), must wear a hospital gown, must have an I.V., may not have your whole family present, and may be subjected to many other interventions including frequent vaginal exams, the use of pitocin to speed up your labor, episiotomy, vacuum extraction, or cesarean section. Your baby will be taken from you to be bathed and examined (possibly in another room) and will not be returned to you until all hospital procedures have been completed (in some hospitals this is up to four hours). As far as what equipment is available, there is no difference between home and birth center birth. Midwives carry oxygen, resuscitation equipment, and anti-hemorrhagic medications to all births. The same equipment that is available at the birth center can be brought to the home. So it is just a matter of personal preference whether you choose to birth in the home or birth center. |
 Corina checks baby's heart rate during labor. *  *  |
| VBAC VBAC stands for Vaginal Birth After Cesarean and is a safe option for most women. With the rising rate of cesareans in this country, and specifically in South Florida, many women are faced with the question of whether to try for a VBAC in a subsequent pregnancy. Bellymama Midwifery offers VBAC for women who have a low-transverse incision and encourages all women who’ve had a prior cesarean to educate themselves about the risks/benefits of VBAC vs. repeat cesarean. Cesarean section is a major surgery with increased risks both for mom and baby, including infection, hemorrhage, breathing problems, and prematurity. Having a cesarean also increases risks in future pregnancies. VBAC carries with it the small risk of uterine rupture (< 1%) and its consequences. Studies have shown that 80% of women who attempt VBAC have successful vaginal births with no harm to themselves or their babies. |
 Baby Sean shortly after mom's third successful VBAC. |
| Waterbirth Waterbirth offers several advantages, including increased relaxation for the mother and a gentler, smoother transition for the baby. Being immersed in warm water increases endorphin levels, allowing women greater relaxation and increasing their ability to cope with contractions. Contractions are generally reported to be less painful in the water and during the pushing stage the warm water helps the mother’s tissue stretch so that she doesn’t tear. Women who wish to labor and birth in water can do so in the home or in the birth center. In the birth center there are birthing tubs that you can utilize. At home, a birth tub can be rented or you can purchase a kiddie pool and this works just fine. The pool must be clean and the water temperature must be maintained at 98.6 or higher. Studies that have been done in Europe have proven waterbirth to be safe, with no increased risk of infection for mother or baby. For more information on waterbirth you can visit these sites: http://www.waterbirth.org/spa/index.php http://www.waterbirthinfo.com/ |
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| Postpartum Care Postpartum care includes care of mom and baby in the days and weeks following the birth. The midwife will come to your home on days 1, 3, and 5 following the birth. Follow up office visits will be done at 2 and 6 weeks after the birth. During these visits the midwife will check on your bleeding, vital signs, uterus, breasts, emotional adjustment, nutrition and elimination as well as your baby’s vital signs, color, cord, behavior, feeding and elimination patterns. The adequacy of your support network is also assessed. |
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| Breastfeeding Support Breastmilk is the best possible food you can give to your baby. It supplies all the right nutrients, in the right amounts, at the right time of development, and it is always ready, at the right temperature, and available in a soft, appealing package. Bellymama Midwifery encourages all women to breastfeed. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies receive only breastmilk for the first 6 months of life. As part of the postpartum care, the midwife provides breastfeeding information and support as well as referrals to lactation consultations when indicated. For more information on breastfeeding please (click here- go to breastfeeding info section.). |
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Bellymama Midwifery * Corina Fitch, L.M., R.N., C.P.M.
Bellymama Midwifery is a private midwifery practice offering pre-pregnancy counseling,
complete prenatal care, childbirth education, blessingways, and bellymasks,
home and birth center birth,VBAC, waterbirth, postpartum care, and breastfeeding support.